Email from Ian D. Brown re: public hearing November 17
An environmentalist argues against the rezoning by quantifying the loss of greenhouse gas absorption resulting from the proposed clearcutting of forest on the property.
From: IMBrown Sent: Monday, November 16, 2020 3:40 PM To: Info Address info@viewroyal.ca Subject: public hearing November 17
To Mayor and Council,
I write to ask you, once more, to notice the powerful global warming consequences of the proposed rezoning at #9 Erskine Lane. According to the work of Prof. Nicholas Coop of the UBC School of Forestry, as interpreted for me by the journalist Briony Penn, clearcutting just 60% of the forest on this land will terminate the yearly absorption of 18 tons of greenhouse gas a year. In other words, your decision to pass this rezoning will have the effect of deciding, on behalf of the Town of View Royal, to add 18 tones of greenhouse gases per year to the atmosphere - effectively forever. No matter how many trees you plant they will not compensate for this increased pollution – not at all for at least 20 years and not fully until they are 100 years old. Planting is not a response to the emergency nature of global warming.
For perspective you could note that the entire fleet of vehicles of the Town of View Royal, including emergency vehicles, only emits just about the same amount of greenhouse gases per year as this 60% of the forest absorbs. So, rezoning this lot amounts to adding the same amount of greenhouse gases as the Town’s entire vehicle fleet. That is, voting for this rezoning amounts to voting for doubling the greenhouse gas effect of our vehicle fleet . That decision is a shocking repudiation of our so-called “climate emergency”.
I can understand that your planners did not consider the issue of greenhouse gas absorption last spring since it was not common public knowledge before May of this year when Ms. Penn published a thorough article in Focus on Victoria (online magazine). I am disappointed that your environmental consultant, Ian Wright of EDI Environmental Consultants, did not mention this issue anywhere in his report to the Town. I would have expected such an expert to keep up with the science well enough to have considered the issue in detail.
I am aware that the Community Plan shows #9 as becoming residential. How much better it would be that you should amend the Plan so that this land is zoned as rural in perpetuity. Now that the Town’s planners are aware of the science behind this problem of losing greenhouse gas absorption perhaps we can presume they will take this large cost under consideration for this and other rezoning for forest land in our town.
Lest you decide to label me as opposed to all development and so dismiss my request, I would like to point out there are several totally untreed empty sites in View Royal that I could easily support being developed. Lot 2 on the northeast boundary of this one is untreeed, nearer transit, an excellent site for housing for hospital employees and an easy walk to Quality Foods. The land at the foot of Hallowell Road is equally handy to shopping and transit. If View Royal is truly required to do more for the housing needs of the Capital Region, the Town should spend its energy negotiating with these property owners, make an offer they can ‘t refuse and leave #9 zoned rural and the trees standing. In the midst of a climate emergency we cannot afford a serious increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
So I plead with you, do not rezone this property. Do not go down in history as a member of a Council that made the coming Climate Catastrophe worse
Sincerel
Ian D.Brown, 328 Stewart Ave.